Music Journalists

[bradrowe#32]

What do we think of them? I think they are a bit of a necessary evil. The good ones can capture the essence of music.

My favourites:
Lester Bangs: I had heard of him before, but didn't know too much until I read his biography a year back. I just love his writing style, very chaotic and passionate. His work has made me check out many a band of the 70's.

Cameron Crowe: I remember reading his work in the 90's (before he made movies) and just love his passion. He really is a brilliant writer.

Ones I dislike:
Clem Bastow: She writes for The Age and Inpress. Her giggly child-like writing really irritates me.

Kim Neely: Did a hatchet job on Guns n Roses and Pearl Jam a few years ago. It was more like a Women's Weekly article that one it appeared in, Rolling Stone.

I'm sure I'll think of more later.

 

[Roddy]

Hey, I'm a music journo! Don't knock us. But I only write on music coz I'm such an addict, and I get lotsa free stuff!!!
And I always try to be positive, especially about local stuff, unlike others....

 

[TigerFan]

Hey, I'm a music journo! Don't knock us. But I only write on music coz I'm such an addict, and I get lotsa free stuff!!!

I used to freelance for a couple of street presses down here, and I must say the free stuff is sensational.

freelancing was fun, especially the time where an Australian #1 artist threatened to sue me in the aftermath of a live review

And I always try to be positive, especially about local stuff, unlike others....

I really object to this sort of mentality. we're not here to pander to Australian artists, we're here to give as objective a rating as possible to everything we review - Australian or not.

it's the same with JJJ's treatment of Australian bands. frankly, Powderfinger could release a CD of fart sounds and JJJ would give it airplay on the basis that they're Australian, and the only people who win from this sort of policy are the record companies as people rush out to buy sub-par albums on a somebody else's recommendation.

if we lower the bar for Australian artists, we're creating a culture in which mediocrity will be rewarded, and the standard of Australian music will suffer as a result

 

[Roddy]

I'm like that coz I'm a fan FIRST, a muso (well, drummer!) in an original Rock band trying to get somewhere second, then there's daylight, then I'm a music writer. I'm also a 'glass-half-full' kinda person, I try very hard to see the good in things, rather than most people, who live to whinge and critisize everything they see. I'm sure you know what I mean, but if you don't, go and see half the posts that go on on the main page of this forum!
eg. Footy's too soft these days! The AFL's crap! Too much flooding is ruining the game!!! The tribunal's sh*t!!! etc etc etc etc etc etc.......................

 

[John]

Music Journo's are ultra influential in the UK. They make em and then break em. As a young bloke I lived there between the ages of 8 to 15. 1968 to 1975. It was the height of the weekly Music broadsheets and there were some pretty good Fanzines as well. I used to get a weekly called Sounds and a fanzine called Zigzag. Zigzag was famous for the rock family trees. A Music journo called Pete Frame was resposible and they where IMveryHO brilliant. If any of you get to see the BBC series do.

Along with Sounds there were other weekly's like Melody Maker, NME and Disc. I know that NME still exists. When I came back to Brisbane in 74 the only music press I remember was RAM. This is the best link I can find. It was a good mag but I have no memory of when it ended. It also had section where readers could write in and ask questions. This produced a classic one year when a reader wrote in in the late 70,s early 80 and stated that they had just got into Jimmi Hendrix and thought he was great. When would he be touring Australia. With the demise of RAM I was never aware of anything that came close to replacing it and was left in the wilderness for a long long time until the advent of the WWW. Radio station 4ZZZ was the only place for me in this town until the net.

Nowadays I rely on Brisbane steet press, Time Off, Rave and Scene. The net is also a great source. The Brisbane Courier Mail I do not read unless others have it lying around, Noel Mengal writes in that rag but is a tad too conservative for me.

I do enjoy music journalism and have no problem with a journo being critical of artists I like. One can soon get to know who's opinion one respects. So to all you journo's in the music field have fun and lucky you.

 

[Crosby87]

Most of them know nothing. That's why they're journalists and not musicians.

Some, however, are very good.

 

[IDGAF]

Very cynical towards these people .

What right does someone have , who has never written a tune or picked up an instrument , to pass comment on other peoples art ?

Can`t stand it when i read negative reviews tearing strips off people as if they had commited some heinous crime .

Sure , in some cases it can be warranted , but i think that they should have at the very least , walked a mile in thier shoes before sitting there , piously passing judgement , when they may have know idea of what it took , and what went into the making of the particular creation .

Get a life (most of them)

...... and if i ever read another Rolling Stone article that starts off with " Sitting in the dark and quiet bar in LA`s sunset strip ... such and such is sipping on his cocktail discussing the virtues of ......"

Its as bad as ending as essay with " ... and then i woke up"

 

[bradrowe#32]

Music Journo's are ultra influential in the UK. They make em and then break em. As a young bloke I lived there between the ages of 8 to 15. 1968 to 1975. It was the height of the weekly Music broadsheets and there were some pretty good Fanzines as well. I used to get a weekly called Sounds and a fanzine called Zigzag. Zigzag was famous for the rock family trees. A Music journo called Pete Frame was resposible and they where IMveryHO brilliant. If any of you get to see the BBC series do.

Along with Sounds there were other weekly's like Melody Maker, NME and Disc. I know that NME still exists. When I came back to Brisbane in 74 the only music press I remember was RAM. This is the best link I can find. It was a good mag but I have no memory of when it ended. It also had section where readers could write in and ask questions. This produced a classic one year when a reader wrote in in the late 70,s early 80 and stated that they had just got into Jimmi Hendrix and thought he was great. When would he be touring Australia. With the demise of RAM I was never aware of anything that came close to replacing it and was left in the wilderness for a long long time until the advent of the WWW. Radio station 4ZZZ was the only place for me in this town until the net.

Nowadays I rely on Brisbane steet press, Time Off, Rave and Scene. The net is also a great source. The Brisbane Courier Mail I do not read unless others have it lying around, Noel Mengal writes in that rag but is a tad too conservative for me.

I do enjoy music journalism and have no problem with a journo being critical of artists I like. One can soon get to know who's opinion one respects. So to all you journo's in the music field have fun and lucky you.

I find the UK press pretty ordinary. They (mainly NME) build up bands and then when they are popular, they go to town on them. The most recent example is the Artic Monkeys.

 

[midorigreenwood]

getting free albums? hah, that incentive died years ago. Most albums of any stature are leaked on the internet months before release dates anyways.

Better to become an accountant, learn some compie skills and eat properly.

I wouldn't put any weight on any single music journalist. Like any subjective endeavor, it is only the view of one person. However there is wayyy too much music out there and it serves as a guide to the buzz on the street.

My philosophy is keep an ear on a number of sources, music blogs, reviews, triple-j etc for any buzz. Steal the album, take it for a test drive for several weeks and if it really engages me, I'll part with my hard earned money.

Why take the word of a music journalist when you can listen to it and make up your own mind?

 

[John]

Very cynical towards these people .

What right does someone have , who has never written a tune or picked up an instrument , to pass comment on other peoples art ?

Can`t stand it when i read negative reviews tearing strips off people as if they had commited some heinous crime .

Sure , in some cases it can be warranted , but i think that they should have at the very least , walked a mile in thier shoes before sitting there , piously passing judgement , when they may have know idea of what it took , and what went into the making of the particular creation .

Get a life (most of them)

...... and if i ever read another Rolling Stone article that starts off with " Sitting in the dark and quiet bar in LA`s sunset strip ... such and such is sipping on his cocktail discussing the virtues of ......"

Its as bad as ending as essay with " ... and then i woke up"

I understand your point but I am not sure I agree. What right does a supporter of a footy club to be critical of a player who is not playing well when the supporter has never played at the top level? What right has the public to be critical of the Prime Minister when they have never been a Prime Minister? I could go on.

 

[rick James]

Very cynical towards these people .

What right does someone have , who has never written a tune or picked up an instrument , to pass comment on other peoples art ?

Completely disagree, by this logic we shouldn'y praise music either unless we've released our own.

Hell, we shouldn't criticise actors or politicians either, unless we've won an oscar or been Prime Minister.

to answer thw question you pose, every right.

 

[IDGAF]

Completely disagree, by this logic we shouldn'y praise music either unless we've released our own.

Hell, we shouldn't criticise actors or politicians either, unless we've won an oscar or been Prime Minister.

to answer thw question you pose, every right.

Rick , Rick , Rick my son ... you either enjoy certain music or you don`t

Does not make it right or wrong

 

[Contra Mundum]

Have not been the same since Ray Lowry and Lester Bangs - they are not fans anymore - like film critics they have ingested too much post modernism and cultural studies and use reviews to show they're erudition rather than describe their subjective reactions to the music which if done eloquently can really be informative and good

 

[rick James]

Rick , Rick , Rick my son ... you either enjoy certain music or you don`t

Does not make it right or wrong

Err yeah, but that has nothing to do with what I posted.

You asked what rioght they had to criticise, I say, in a free country they have EVERY right to criticise.

 

[IDGAF]

You asked what rioght they had to criticise, I say, in a free country they have EVERY right to criticise.

To be critical is pi.ss easy . You could find fault with anything if you wanted to .

Never questioned the "right" ... merely saying the "right" should be earned.

I have bucketloads more respect for the creators ... not the deflators